In the Mediterranean region autumn storm episodes are quite common, with flooding of urban areas. Alicante has developed an integral vision of water management, including flood prevention among their priorities. The floodable urban park La Marjal is their last achievement. It collects storm rain water as it could be reused by the treated wastewater network for watering the gardens of the city. The integration of treated wastewater into water resources management is of paramount importance to meet future demands.

Facts

Project description

A new step towards the sustainability and a whole vision on water cycle management is the new urban park La Marjal. It is a floodable park of 36.000 m2 that can contain as much as 45.000m3 of water-storm. The Mediterranean coast of Spain suffers what is known as a “cold drop” storm period, where floods are very common. This park tries to cope with this kind of storm periods, keeping the water that can be reused later on, as well as preventing the flooding of surrounding areas, part occupied with dwellings, and some roads. The park is a large reservoir of storm-water. The pipes of a vast part of the city flow in the park and prevent damages in buildings and the spreading of waste in the beaches.

On the other hand, this 3.6 Ha public park can be used out of rain periods by the population. The Municipality of Alicante and the water service management, a public-private company, Aguas Municipalizadas de Alicante, undertook its construction and it was opened in 2015. The recollected storm water can be reused for watering and allows the city to increase its touristic attractiveness as well as its picturesque landscape with gardens.

This park received the 2018 Sustainable City Award in the water cycle sector of the Fundació Forum Ambiental.